PlayStation 5 update enables external USB storage and Share Play with PS4 players

With the latest major PlayStation 5 system update, Sony announced that players will be able to transfer their PS5 games to an external USB storage device. There are also some other new features, including cross-generational Share Play—which lets PS4 players try out PS5 games, and vice versa.

Storage expansion through USB drives

Now you’ll be able to transfer your PS5 games to an external USB hard drive or SSD. This way, you will have more storage for more games in your console’s 825GB SSD.

However, take note that the games can’t be played directly from USB storage. You’d have to copy the games you want back into your console in order to play them again. According to Sony, this is because the PS5 titles are designed to take advantage of the console’s ultra high-speed SSD. On top of that, you are also not able to download games directly to the USB storage device.

The benefit of this feature is that you are able to reinstall your games faster from USB extended storage, rather than re-downloading them or copying them from a disc.

Sony has reiterated that the PS5 console does come with a M.2 SSD expansion slot and this will be enabled sometime in the future. You can learn more about USB external storage on the PS5 here.

Cross-generational Share Play

PS5 and PS4 players can now Share Play—which allows you to invite a visitor to view your screen for up to 60 minutes a session. It also means that PS4 players can try out PS5 games, and vice versa. You can use this to either let them take over your game, or to play co-op games together.

There will also be options for you to “Request To Join” your friends’ joinable game sessions for both PS5 and PS4 consoles. According to PlayStation, this also “serves as a shortcut for sending a game invite” as invites usually take up a bit more time for you to join a game.

Other console updates include an improved Game Base menu, the ability to disable a games’ chat or to adjust players’ volume, screen zoom, customisable game libraries, game update pre-downloads, and new trophy settings. Additionally, you will be able to take advantage of their new PlayStation App (iOS, Android) features, which will include letting you join a multiplayer session on PS5 from the app, manage your PS5 console storage, and more.

This may be their first major update, but Sony has released some slight update before regarding a bug affecting Samsung 4K TVs. The bug prevents you from playing games at 4K at 120Hz with High Dynamic Range (HDR) enabled at the same time.

To recap, the PlayStation 5 Digital version is officially priced at RM1,869 and it’s going for RM2,299 for the Blu-ray version. Stocks are still hard to come by and Sony had offered its 4th round of pre-order last month.

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